Apple iPhone beats Xiaomi, others- in CHINA! How it was done and role of iPhone 13

tech.hindustantimes.com:

The Apple vs Xiaomi rivalry is pretty fierce, and for the iPhone to triumph in China is a major victory. The latest smartphone sales report of Q4 FY21 has highlighted that when it comes to China, Apple iPhone has surpassed Xiaomi in the fourth quarter of financial year 2021.It is not merely Xiaomi, even Vivo, Oppo and Honor were left behind. Of course, the rising popularity of Xiaomi cannot be ignored. The popular smartphone makers of Mi and Redmi brands have taken up a large share of the market in India. Xiaomi retained its top position in India according to a report by Counterpoint research. The report also highlighted that the brand witnessed a 258 per cent growth in the premium smartphone category (smartphones priced above Rs. 30,000). Additionally, it has also been capturing consumer’s attention in the US and European markets.

Apple iPhone growth in the latest quarter was surprising as in the previous few quarters it struggled to capture even 15 per cent of China’s market share, something Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi were consistently doing. Further, Apple did go through some difficult periods as 2020 sales were postponed resulting in diminished sales. Despite that, the last quarter has become the strongest for Apple, which followed on the heels of its latest iPhone 13 series launch.

The year 2021 was relatively smoother for the iPhone makers and it was seen in the sales report shared by GizChina. Apple usually has a weak Q3 every year as the iPhone reaches the end of yearly cycle and people start waiting for the new iPhone launch which takes place in September or October. In Q3 FY21, Apple had only 13 per cent of the smartphone market, as opposed to 23 per cent by Vivo, 20 per cent by Oppo, 15 per cent by Honor and 14 per